Air Force Day: What India needs to know about Pakistan Air Force
He further said that this air force should be very diligent and the best air force in the world and it should stand at the forefront of Pakistan's defense with land and sea.
Seventy years after these instructions of the Founder of Pakistan, today all eyes are on the Pakistan Air Force in these extraordinary circumstances.
The two countries' air forces have been battling each other since India's airstrikes in Balakot on Tuesday. The capabilities of the Pakistan Air Force in this Indian attack are being discussed.
The Indian Air Force, which is considered to be the fourth largest air force in the world, definitely has a numerical advantage over Pakistan. The Indian Air Force has 31 squadrons of aircraft. Each squadron has 17 or 18 fighter jets, while its rival Pakistan Air Force has 11 squadrons.
But this numerical comparison does not make the real story clear. For this we also have to understand the background.
This is how the Royal Pakistan Air Force describes the bitter memories of its early history. "We were deprived of the small portion of defense equipment, aircraft and weapons that he (India) had promised us when he left the UK."
Finally we found a box full of useless parts from India, which could not be used.
The nascent Air Force's journey began when it began delivering troops and equipment to the 1947 Indo-Pakistani war in Kashmir.
Then in the wars of 1965 and 1971, both the Indian Air Force and the Pakistan Air Force took an active part. The stories told by the former officers of the two air forces about their bravery and skill show that the air forces of both the countries played an important role in these wars.
Today, the two most useful weapons of the Pakistan Air Force are two aircraft. The F-16 from the United States and the recently launched Chinese-assisted JF-17 Thunder. Pakistan is also developing a fifth generation aircraft but not much is known about it.
The F-16 is actually a single-engine fighter that first appeared in Pakistan Air Force insignia and in a specific color in 1982. In contrast, the JF-17 was designed to be a light aircraft that could operate as a fighter in all weathers, day and night. The aircraft was built in collaboration with the Kamra-based Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China's Chengdu Aircraft Industry.
It is said that in the coming years, the most used aircraft in the Pakistan Air Force will be a single-engine fighter. Over the years, it will gradually replace the Mirage aircraft acquired from France.
The Pakistan Air Force is pursuing a policy of self-reliance in its aircraft manufacturing and is trying to build a modern aircraft JF-17 Thunder, but not much has been heard or seen in this regard.
The Pakistan Air Force has only three bases in Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi. It also has an Air Defense Command center in Rawalpindi and a Strategic Command Center in Islamabad, but the Pakistan Air Force claims to have a complete network of air radars and its aircraft and other equipment. In addition to maintenance and repair facilities, there is also a large administrative center.
But the Pakistan Air Force's claims faced a major test in May 2011 when US sales flew from Afghanistan to Abbottabad, Pakistan's innermost city, and killed Osama bin Laden. Many questions were raised as to why the Pakistan Air Force was not aware of it.
In addition, there is another interesting aspect to look at in the review of the Pakistan Air Force, which gives us an idea of the situation facing the Pakistan Air Force.
Last year, RAND Corporation, a well-known California-based think tank, said that "important decisions regarding PAF policy are made by the Chief of Army Staff, who is consulted and guided by the Chief of Air Staff." This means that the final decision on Pakistan's air force is not made by the Chief of Air Staff, but by the Chief of Army Staff.
This begs the question: how much does the weight of Pakistan's evil army weigh on its air force?
"There is no air force in the world that has what it wants," says Qaiser Tufail, author and former director of operations for the Pakistan Air Force, Air Commodore (retd). In some respects, financial resources are always scarce. Doesn't that happen? But I will not agree with anyone who says that the PAF does not get its share of resources.
Explaining the evolution of the Pakistan Air Force, Air Commodore (retd) Qaiser Tufail said: 'I think three periods have passed so far. The first period was when Pakistan (British) became a republic. At the time, Pakistan Air Force was using second-hand equipment. The second period after that was when Pakistan became a member of Santo and Seto. This period continued till 1965 when we received a large consignment of American air power in the war against India in the form of F-86 Saber and F-104 Star Famer aircraft. At the time, it was a sign of cooperation with the United States that every second PAF pilot was receiving aerial training from the United States.
And then the third era began when sanctions began to be imposed on Pakistan. This era has given us the opportunity to diversify our capabilities, and this effort continues today.
Sitting across Pakistan's eastern border, the Indian Air Force believes that the Pakistan Air Force has not changed over time.
"The PAF is trying to catch up with us," said Air Marshal SB Dave, who has retired from the Indian Air Force as Vice Chief of Staff. Their pilots aren't bad, but I think PAF is in financial trouble.
If you look at the area they have to defend, they have a large number of AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control Systems), but I'm not sure how active their system is. Can The Pakistan Air Force is increasingly turning to China for its capabilities and air power.
Fighter pilot and military historian Air Vice Marshal (retd) Arjun Subramaniam disagrees. He warned that it would be wrong to consider the Pakistan Air Force weak on the basis of the Balakot attack alone. "I think the kind of air strikes that India has carried out would have made it difficult for even the best air force in the world to escape," he said. In addition, the Indian Air Force should be commended for choosing such a good target and accomplishing it so well.
Referring to the Pakistan Air Force, he added, "I do not view their air defense with suspicion, but as far as I know, the quality of their F-16s is declining and their JF-17 combat capability is still low." It has not been proven yet.
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